Open-plan office systems are formed by connecting together rigid panel frames at facing edges thereof. Prior art systems for connecting rigid panels in these open-plan office systems are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Deakins, 3,312,025 (issued Apr. 4, 1967); Propst et al, 3,430,997 (issued Mar. 4, 1969); Propst et al, Re. 27,215 (issued Nov. 2, 1971); Munsey, 3,877,191 (issued Apr. 15, 1975); LaGue et al, 3,987,838 (issued Oct. 26, 1976); Boulva, 4,047,342 (issued Sept. 13, 1977); Hage et al, 4,104,838 (issued Aug. 8, 1978); Johnson, 4,129,163 (issued Dec. 12, 1978); Person 4,232,183 (issued Nov. 4, 1980).
Propst et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,997 discloses and claims a panel joint system in which the stiles of the frame have upper and lower wedging members affixed to the facing edges and upper and lower wedge mating members are disposed for movement in a direction parallel to the vertical edges of the stile to engage the upper and lower wedging members on the stiles. The wedge mating members are joined by a tie bar and a mechanical advantage means on the tie bar forces the upper and lower wedge mating members together to rigidly lock adjacent panels together.
The U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,215 to Propst et al, discloses and claims a panel connector having a pair of U-shaped channels secured to panel edges through screws with frustoconical wedging surfaces and a tubular spline connector with pear-shaped slots are provided to engage the screws 30. A lift cap is secured to the top of the spline connector by means of pins. A bearing plate rests on top of the channels and has a bolt which is journaled in the hole and threaded into a tapped hole of the lift cap 42. Tightening of the bolt draws the spline upwardly to bring the wedging-surface screws to the bottom of the spline holes, thereby drawing the panels tightly together.
The patent to Deakins discloses a partition connector in which upwardly and outwardly projecting tabs on a central spline engage downwardly and outwardly projecting tabs on the panel edges.
The patent to Munsey and the patent to Hage et al disclose connector assemblies for panels in which connector hooks on the top and the bottom of the panels fit into slots in a vertical post to connect the panel to the post. A cap is threaded down onto the hook on top of the panels to prevent disengagement of the panels from the slots.
The patent to LaGue et al discloses a panel connection system in which tubular members have T-shaped ribs to engage slots in the panel to slidably connect the tubular members to the panel.
The patent to Boulva discloses a panel connector system in which a bridging device has holes in the top and the bottom. Vertically disposed screws or other lugs secured to the panel are received in the holes in the bridging device for securing the panels together.
The patent to Johnson discloses a connector system in which connector tubes have projecting lugs which are slidably received in the channels in the panel edges.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,232,183 to Person discloses a panel connection system in which clips having depending lugs engage slots in connector tubes. The connector tube is formed in several parts and is joined together through an elongated rod which is threaded at the upper and lower ends thereof.